DistantNews
Support us
Hohes Venn Wildfire: Firebreaks Created to Protect Germany from Spreading Flames
🇩🇪 Germany /Disasters & Emergencies

Hohes Venn Wildfire: Firebreaks Created to Protect Germany from Spreading Flames

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Ongoing story
  • Firefighters are creating firebreaks in the Hohes Venn nature reserve to prevent a large blaze from spreading into Germany.
  • The fire has destroyed approximately 3,000 hectares of land since Friday, with efforts to contain it ongoing due to inaccessible terrain.
  • Four firefighters have been injured, two with smoke inhalation, one with a back injury, and another requiring ankle surgery.

Firefighters are battling a significant blaze in the Hohes Venn nature reserve, creating firebreaks in a desperate effort to stop the flames from reaching Germany. The fire, which ignited on Friday, has already consumed roughly 3,000 hectares of land.

Crews are working to remove the topsoil and vegetation to access the difficult terrain near the German border with the help of hoses. These operations are expected to continue throughout Tuesday. While the spread of the fire has been largely halted, a portion of the fire front remains inaccessible to ground crews.

Adverse weather conditions, including rain and heavy cloud cover, have grounded firefighting aircraft and helicopters. The challenging circumstances have led to injuries among the firefighting teams. Four firefighters have sustained injuries, with two treated for smoke inhalation, one for a back injury, and another undergoing surgery for an ankle injury.

Firefighters are working to remove the topsoil and vegetation to access the difficult terrain near the German border with the help of hoses.

— Belgian Interior Ministry spokespersonDescribing the efforts to combat the fire in the inaccessible parts of the nature reserve.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog